1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mechanical drive belts, and more particularly to cogged belts used in power transmissions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a cogged belt an elastic base of which accommodates a carrying element in the form of spirally wound cords. In order to ensure increased rigidity of the cogs, their interior is provided with inserts of a harder material extending longitudinally of the belt cog (cf., e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,929). The carrying element and inserts are bonded therebetween only by the elastomeric base to result in the lack of rigid connection and consequently in a tendency to fatigue failure in the form of cracks at the cog root during operation of the cogged belt.
There is also known a cogged belt an elastic base of which accommodates a carrying element and an element reinforcing the belt cogs in the form of a corrugated band with the corrugations embedded within the cog interior. The carrying element has ports at the cog location for these ports to receive corrugations of the reinforcing band having a width corresponding to the width of the ports. Inserts are interposed between the corrugations of the reinforcing element and carrying element inside the belt cogs (cf., USSR Inventor's Certificate No. 1,073,511, published Feb. 15, 1984).
However, because the carrying element in the form of a band has ports receiving corrugations of the reinforcing band the integrity of the carrying element is impaired, whereas the reinforcing element has a width equal to that of the ports, whereby the carrying capacity of the belt is affected, since the force transmitted by the belt is taken up by the reinforcing element at sections thereof having corrugations, and by the carrying element at portions between the corrugations, which reduces the carrying capacity of the belt.